Amniotic tissue in complete hydatidiform moles can be androgenetic

• Published in: The Journal of pathology Vol. 191; no. 1; pp. 67 - 70
• Main Authors: Weaver, Daniel T., Fisher, Rosemary A., Newlands, Edward S., Paradinas, Fernando J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.05.2000; Wiley
• Subjects: Alleles; amnion; Amnion - pathology; Biological and medical sciences; Diseases of mother, fetus and pregnancy; DNA; Female; Genotype; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; hydatidiform mole; Hydatidiform Mole - genetics; Hydatidiform Mole - pathology; Medical sciences; microsatellite polymorphisms; Microsatellite Repeats; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polymorphism, Genetic; Pregnancy; Pregnancy, Multiple; Pregnancy. Fetus. Placenta; twin pregnancy; Human; Trophoblaste pathology; Pregnancy disorders; Hydatidiform mole; Pathogenesis; Complete; Histiogenesis; Placenta diseases; Polymerase chain reaction; Pathology; Placenta; Microsatellite DNA; Amnion; Tumor; Molecular biology; Twin pregnancy; Polymorphism
• ISSN: 0022-3417; 1096-9896
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-9896(200005)191:1<67::AID-PATH576>3.0.CO;2-X

The purpose of this study was to determine whether amniotic tissue found associated with cases of complete hydatidiform mole (CM) was genetically identical to the CM, and therefore part of the molar pregnancy, or genetically dissimilar to the CM, suggesting derivation from a twin pregnancy. DNA was prepared from formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded blocks of tissue containing both CM and amnion. Maternal DNA was prepared from decidual tissue in the same blocks, or from a maternal blood sample. Fluorescent microsatellite genotyping was carried out to determine the origin of both the CM and the amniotic tissue. In one of six cases examined, the amniotic tissue was genetically different from the CM and was therefore likely to be derived from a twin pregnancy. In the five remaining cases, the amniotic tissue was genetically identical to the CM and was likely to be derived from the same conceptus. It is concluded that androgenetic CM can support the development of amniotic tissue and that some early embryonic development may occur in CM. The presence of amnion, or other fetal tissues, associated with molar tissue should not therefore always be considered indicative of a diagnosis of partial mole (PM). Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.